Beyond the Spectrum – Conversations with Parents on Autism and Beyond
Beyond the Spectrum - Conversations with Parents on Autism and Beyond
Podcast Description
We chat to parents of ASD children (of all ages) about their experiences; from diagnosis to therapies and activities, and beyond. They kindly share their insights and advice to help other families out there.And to help parents realise they're not alone! Many families are going through the same and similar ups and downs and can reach out to us if they'd like to connect with our guests.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on the experiences of parents raising children with ASD, exploring themes such as diagnosis journeys, therapy options, and social challenges. Episodes like Katie's Story delve into parenting while managing her own neurodivergence, while others like Tess's episode tackle the transition from childhood to adulthood for autistic individuals, showcasing the varied landscape of parenting neurodivergent children.
We chat to parents of ASD children (of all ages) about their experiences; from diagnosis to therapies and activities, and beyond. They kindly share their insights and advice to help other families out there.
And to help parents realise they’re not alone! Many families are going through the same and similar ups and downs and can reach out to us if they’d like to connect with our guests.
In this episode of Beyond the Spectrum, Clint sits down with Sydney mum Shauna Hawkes for a very open conversation about raising her 13-year-old daughter, who has been diagnosed with ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).
Shauna shares the reality of parenting a teenager who is confident, energetic and incredibly likeable, but whose impulsivity and risk-taking can create some very challenging situations.
They talk about school suspensions, vaping and alcohol, medication, counselling, sibling impacts and what happens when the usual consequences simply don't seem to matter.
But a big part of this conversation isn't about trying to ”fix” a child.
It's about the parent.
Shauna talks honestly about learning to regulate herself, protecting the relationship she has with her daughter and questioning whether sometimes the parent needs support just as much as the child does.
Her advice to parents receiving a diagnosis is simple: look after yourself too. When you're regulated and supported, you're in a much better position to make decisions for your family.
We also talk about the impact challenging behavior can have on siblings, co-regulation, communicating with your partner and the value of sometimes having someone simply listen without trying to solve the problem.
It's an honest conversation about a family that doesn't have all the answers, and isn't pretending to.
Sometimes knowing you're not the only family figuring this stuff out is enough.
Short episode summary
Clint talks with Sydney mum Shauna Hawkes about parenting her 13-year-old daughter with ADHD and ODD. They discuss school suspensions, risk-taking, medication, sibling impacts, parental self-care and what happens when traditional consequences don't seem to work.
Key topics
- Parenting a teenager with ADHD and ODD
- When consequences don't seem to work
- School suspensions and challenging behavior
- Risk-taking, vaping and alcohol
- Medication and counselling
- Protecting the parent-child relationship
- The hidden impact on siblings
- Parent overwhelm and self-care
- Co-regulation
- Learning to listen without immediately trying to fix things
- Trusting yourself as a parent
If you enjoyed listening and found this content valuable we'd appreciate it if you could provide a positive review and to share this with your network to potentially reach and help more parents and families 🙏
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.